$20.00

Most of the sensors sold at Phidgets are simple 0-5V devices that can be read directly from a VINT port (See the Connection & Compatibility tab for a list of VINT Hubs). But sometimes, you need a special sensor, be it a 4-20mA pressure sensor or a frequency output flow meter. The Versatile Input Phidget aims to provide an interface for as many types of sensors as possible while still keeping its compact form and low price point. Listed below are the various options for this adapter:

Power Supply 12V/24V

If you have a sensor that requires more than the typical 5V, this option allows you to generate a 12V or 24V power supply. This power is supplied directly through the VINT port with no need for an external power supply, cutting down on messy power wiring. You can also turn the power off through a command in your program as a power saving and control feature.

Voltage Input 5V

Similar to a VINT port opened in VoltageInput mode, this input will read in a 0-5V signal from a 5V sensor. This input is included primarily for industrial sensors that require a 12V or 24V supply, but still return a 0-5V signal. This input, however, does not support ratiometric sensors. For sensors that only require 5V power, you can just use a VINT Hub or InterfaceKit.

Current Input 4-20mA

This input can interface sensors with a 4-20mA output. These sensors are often used in applications with long wires where a voltage signal would normally drop off due to line resistance and be susceptible to interference. You can also use this input to measure small currents in a circuit, but only in the range of 0.5 to 20mA.

FrequencyCounter Input

Do you have a sensor that outputs a frequency signal, or do you need to count the number of logic-level pulses on a line? With this input, you can count pulses and measure the frequency being output by your sensor up to a maximum 1 MHz. You can also select a cutoff frequency in software to determine when a frequency is considered to be 'zero'.

Digital Input PNP/NPN

For a sensor with a simple output that switches to logic high (PNP), or switches to ground (NPN), this input provides a 10 kΩ internal resistance to pull the line down or up, respectively.

VINT Hubs

This Phidget is a smart device that must be controlled by a VINT Hub. For more information about VINT, have a look at the VINT Primer. You can use a Phidget Cable to simply and easily connect the two devices. Here's a list of all of the different VINT Hubs currently available:

Phidget Cables

Use a Phidget cable to connect this device to the hub. You can solder multiple cables together in order to make even longer Phidget cables, but you should be aware of the effects of having long wires in your system.

Use the Power Supply drop-down menu to select an appropriate power supply for the sensor you are powering.

Use the Input Mode drop-down menu to select an appropriate input mode for the sensor you are using.

Frequency Counter

Double-click on the Frequency Counter object in order to run the example:

General information about the selected object will be displayed at the top of the window. You can also experiment with the following functionality:

Frequency: the average frequency calculated from the pulses in the event so far.

Total Count: the total number of pulses since opening the example.

Total Time: the total time in milliseconds that has elapsed since opening this example.

Enter a cutoff frequency in the Frequency Cutoff(Hz) textbox and the DAQ1400 will ignore frequencies below the specified value.

Use the Power Supply drop-down menu to select an appropriate power supply for the sensor you are powering.

Finding The Addressing Information

Before you can access the device in your own code, and from our examples, you'll need to take note of the addressing parameters for your Phidget. These will indicate how the Phidget is physically connected to your application. For simplicity, these parameters can be found by clicking the button at the top of the Control Panel example for that Phidget.

In the Addressing Information window, the section above the line displays information you will need to connect to your Phidget from any application. In particular, note the Channel Class field as this will be the API you will need to use with your Phidget, and the type of example you should use to get started with it. The section below the line provides information about the network the Phidget is connected on if it is attached remotely. Keep track of these parameters moving forward, as you will need them once you start running our examples or your own code.

Using Your Own Program

You are now ready to start writing your own code for the device. The best way to do that is to start from our examples:

Once you have your example, you will need to follow the instructions on the page for your programming language to get it running. To find these instructions, select your programming language from the Programming Languages page.

Technical Details

Interfacing with sensors

The DAQ1400 is capable of interfacing with a wide variety of sensors. This section will help you understand what the DAQ1400 is capable of, and how to use it.

Using the Voltage Input (0-5V)

This mode measures an input between 0V and 5V. To connect your 0-5V sensor to the DAQ1400, wire the sensor to the terminals as pictured in the diagram. You may need to refer to the datasheet for your sensor to determine which wire is which.

Using the Current Input

This mode is designed to interface a 4-20mA sensor, which is a common industrial standard. To connect your 4-20mA sensor to the DAQ1400, wire the sensor to the terminals as pictured in the diagram.

Even though this mode is intended for this specific purpose, you can also use it as a general-purpose current sensor, in which case it can measure current values between 0.5mA and 20mA (Measuring below 0.5mA is not recommended).

Using the Digital Input

Some industrial sensor have a simple true/false value which can be read by a digital input. Many proximity or movement sensors have this kind of output. It is common that these sensors will require a 12V or 24V power supply, so other Digital Input Phidgets are not a complete solution in this case. A digital sensor will either be PNP or NPN:

An NPN sensor will switch the sensor line to ground whenever the sensor activates.

A PNP sensor will switch the sensor line to power whenever the sensor activates.

Normally, you'd need a different kind of digital input to interface these two types of sensors. Luckily, the DAQ1400 can read either one; all you have to do is set the Input Mode property to the correct type. To connect your digital sensor to the DAQ1400, wire the sensor to the terminals as pictured in the diagram.

Using the Frequency Counter

Sensors that measure using rotation such as flow meters or anemometers usually have a pulse output. For example, a flow sensor might send a 5V pulse down the line every time the turbine makes a full rotation. Using this information with timestamps, you can calculate the turbine speed. While you could theoretically use a Phidget with a Digital Input to read this kind of signal, most digital input boards are not designed to read pulse signals that change this frequently, so they'll miss pulses and calculate the wrong speed. The DAQ1400 is specially designed to read these high frequency pulse signals when in Frequency Input mode.

To connect your sensor to the DAQ1400, wire the sensor to the terminals as pictured in the diagram.

Pull-Down Resistor

If your sensor frequency is faster than 600Hz, you may seem to be 'maxing out' the DAQ1400. This is because the pull-down resistance is too weak to pull the signal down. To strengthen the pull-down, put a 10KΩ resistor across the Digital and Gnd terminals.

Current Consumption

Current consumption of the DAQ1400 will vary depending on which mode you're using:

Mode

Unconfigured Current Consumption (mA)

Configured Current Consumption (mA)

VoltageInput

0.023

8

CurrentInput

0.023

8

DigitalInput

0.022

9.5

FrequencyInput

0.023

9.7

These figures are based on the 12V power supply. Increasing the power supply to 24V adds approximately 0.7mA of current consumption.

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Phidgets Inc.

We believe in getting problems solved quickly and projects finished on time. That's why we specialize in making affordable, easy to use sensors and controllers that require minimal electronics knowledge.

Phidgets Inc.

We believe in getting problems solved quickly and projects finished on time. That's why we specialize in making affordable, easy to use sensors and controllers that require minimal electronics knowledge.